Cause Marketing Case Study
Client
Television City
Location
2020 Las Vegas, NV
Project Brief
Thousands of military personnel working on the Nevada Test & Training Range (NTTR) were unknowingly exposed to toxic radiation and chemicals from decades of nuclear testing. When they returned home, their families, friends and communities were also exposed. As a result, many have developed a wide range of crippling, often fatal medical conditions.
Due to the highly classified nature of their work, the federal government has refused to acknowledge these personnel existed and denied them access to medical care that could combat their illnesses and save lives.
The Invisible Enemy Foundation (TIE) was created to tell the story of those who risked or lost their lives by serving on the NTTR, and highlight their unjust treatment by the government they swore to protect and defend.
Turning A Support Group Into A Foundation
BRAND Founder and CEO Virginia Martino first learned about this ongoing tragedy from a client, real estate broker Dave Crete, an Air Force veteran who served on the NTTR.
Active in his former unit’s support group, Dave began noticing a steady and disturbing increase in serious illnesses, birth defects and premature deaths among its members and their families. After years of research and investigation, he determined that nuclear contamination on the NTTR was to blame. And he vowed to “right this wrong.”
Dave asked Virginia to be a founding board member of The Invisible Enemy Foundation and she immediately enlisted the BRAND team to join the fight. We created the marketing and communications strategies, tactics and assets to help TIE tell this story and accomplish its mission.
Watch the Testimony
Brand Assets
NTTR personnel were unknowingly under constant attack from an unseen, unstoppable, deadly force. Nuclear radiation inflicts painless, bloodless injuries that can take years to appear and reveal their true severity.
We created a name that captures and communicates the danger, fear and frustration experienced by the victims who are trying to survive this attack and fight back against The Invisible Enemy.
The TIE corporate identity features the silhouette of an F117-A stealth fighter. These top-secret aircraft were based on the NTTR. Dave Crete served in the 4461st Security Police Squad, which provided worldwide operational security for all F-117-A fighters.
Digital Assets
BRAND created the TIE website to educate all military and civilian Defense Department personnel who served on the NTTR, as well as the public, lawmakers and the media, about TIE’s mission and the severe health consequences of exposure to nuclear contamination. And it honors those who have lost the fight against The Invisible Enemy.
The site also enables this non-profit to accept donations that help fund operations and, more importantly, its ongoing campaign to secure free healthcare and fair compensation for all NTTR victims.
We also created TIE’s social media presence to connect with NTTR personnel and families, share new information, promote fundraising and media events, and strengthen support for TIE’s mission in a nationwide community.
Promotions and Event Planning
BRAND has helped plan and promote local events to raise money to support TIE’s operations and lobbying efforts. We also created promotional strategies and materials for The Invisible Enemy, a short documentary film by noted directors Douglas Brian Miller and Mark Shapiro, with award-winning actor Matthew Modine serving as Executive Producer.
The film won the award for Best Short Documentary at the 2025 Santa Fe Film Festival. The short documentary also has been featured in the Cordillera International Film Festival, Garden State Film Festival, Woodstock Film Festival and ALA 2025 Annual Conference & Exhibition at the Pennsylvania Convention Center
Turning A Mission Into A Movement
TIE is leading the fight to create new federal legislation that recognizes the sacrifices and the suffering NTTR personnel continue to endure, and forces the government to take full responsibility. BRAND created educational presentations to help lobby key congressional representatives and secure their commitment to righting this wrong.
We also implemented a robust public relations program that pitched national media and secured massive print, broadcast, radio and online coverage of TIE’s mission, stories and legislation campaign. As of February 2025, the program has generated:
14,156
total media mentions
in five countries
38.7 billion
total impressions
$44.8 million
In equivalent
media value
In just 25 months, TIE and BRAND exploded nationwide awareness of the plight of NTTR victims and the government’s negligence. The TIE story is resounding through the halls of Congress and life-changing legislative victory and long-overdue justice is within reach.
The PROTECT Act, introduced in February 2025, could pave the way for NTTR victims to receive the comprehensive healthcare they need and just financial compensation they deserve.
Turning Awareness Into Donations
BRAND CEO Virginia Martino helped establish the structure and financial goals for a dedicated fundraising board of directors that can effectively monetize TIE’s nationwide awareness to support its current mission and set the stage for the next chapter of its development.
